it doesn't matterwhatreligionyouare. but i think that gospel music was birthed out of a need to be spiritual or to be religious or to have hope and possibility and joy in your life, you know, especially during those really difficult times. and it sort of takes us through a journey of our life in america, you know, whether you go from traditional gospel songs or slave songs or folk songs. >> vy explained that one of the goals of the program is to keep the spirit of gospel alive. >> as we auditioned people for events, we find out that they were not able to sing a whole gospel song all the way through. so, therefore, we felt that it was important now to make sure that we infuse these young people with the history and culture and let them know who they are and where they come from musically so that they would be able to pass the music on for generation and generation to come. >> by the end of the audition, these teens are already learning to let their light shine. >> ♪ let it shine, let it shine, let it shi-i-i-i-ne ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> the students who win a spot at